Yearnings of the Heart
by Wolf Sapphire
Summary: Misao likes Aoshi but the feeling isn't mutual. However Kaoru, a close childhood friend of Aoshi's, might just change that. As the girls grow closer, Misao urged Kaoru to be the bridge between them, not knowing that she and Aoshi were once sweethearts. AK
1. New Student

AN: Most people think of me as a true-blue Kenshin/Kaoru fan. Hmm… I wonder where they get that idea? (coughs…the fact that most of my fics are KK…coughs) Anyways, sorry to disappoint you hardcore KK fans but I'm an A/K fanatic long before I became a pro-Kenshin/Kaoru. I've always thought that they would look great together…Too bad they never got to explore the possibility of a relationship in the actual series…

Also, before I'd let you guys read the chapter, I just want to properly introduce you to my Creativity Demon, the silver-furred and emerald-eyed wolf pup behind the inspirations of my fics. He's been annoying me that I haven't given to him what he's due.

Daemon: (grins mischievously) Rowf! (waves his fluffy wolf puppy paws)

Disclaimer: I don't own RK but I do own Aoshi!!! (lawyers stuff copyrights under Sapphire's nose) Oops! Sorry, my mistake. He's not mine either….so sad.

**Yearnings of the Heart**

_Chapter one: New Student_

----------------------------------------

"AOSHI-SAMA!!!!"

Heads turned to stare as a petite young woman ran down the university's hallways; her long dark hair pulled into a braid.

Cradling her books in one arm, she raised her other free arm to wave at a certain someone.

However, it wasn't long before the bell rang and one again the halls flooded with students coming out of their classrooms; itching to head for the cafeteria to grab some food or at least to the bathroom to relieve themselves.

Sano snickered as he looked behind his shoulder at the girl struggling to avoid being carried away by the afternoon crowd. He turned to face his dark-haired comrade and chuckled at the sour look etched on the other man's face.

The brown-haired young man nudged his friend in the ribs.

"Oi, Shinomori. Aren't you going to answer your girlfriend?" He teased.

Piercing blue-green eyes glared at him as the owner coldly responded.

"Makamichi's not my girlfriend, Sagara."

Sano shook his head. "I know, but why don't you just date her and put her out of your misery?"

It was Aoshi's turn to shake his head. The ebon bangs of his hair shaded his sharp eyes.

"No. That would only lead her to think that I have an interest in her." He replied.

Without a moment to waste, Aoshi grabbed Sano by the shoulder and pushed him forward.

"Let's get going already. We only have five minutes left before our class starts."

Sano rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

"Yeah right, you only wanted to see your girlfriend again,"

If looks can turn one to stone; the spiky brown-haired man would've been a frozen glacier by now.

----------------------------------------------------

Misao Makamichi is her name and winning Aoshi's love is her game.

For five (going six) years since their first year in high school, Misao has been obsessed in trying to get the tall mysterious young man's attention.

_Trying _being the emphasized word.

Since even now, in their sophomore year at Tokyo University, the dark-haired young woman has been unsuccessful in having Aoshi interested in her.

But Misao was not one to be so easily discouraged. It would take a very large something to dissuade her from accomplishing her dreams to get Aoshi to notice her and – dare she say? – like her.

'Oh my Kami! He is so absolutely HOT!!!'

Misao stared with dreamy emerald eyes, her closed knuckles tucked beneath her chin, as she looked at Aoshi who was sitting two rows from her seat.

She couldn't help but be disappointed that she couldn't seat near her ice blue-eyed Lord.

Misao frowned prettily.

Damn Mrs. Tomuki for having strict regulations against boy-girl seat arrangements. Because of her, she's stuck with having a couple of blonde and brunette bimbos as her seatmates.

Damn that old fartbag.

So Misao had to content herself with staring at Aoshi from the back. The ebon-haired young man was looking straight forward; listening to Mrs. Tomuki drone on and on about the wonders of physics.

Phfft. As if Misao would care less.

A knock came at the door; disrupting Mrs. Tomuki from her lecture and Misao from her dreamland.

----------------------------------------------

Aoshi looked up from his notes as he and the rest of the class turned towards the door as Mrs. Tomuki opened to answer who it was.

His sharp ears could pick up the slight hush sounds of someone whispering and raised an eyebrow in mild interest.

'Now, who could it be Mrs. Tomuki was talking to?' He wondered.

---------------------------------------------

The young woman tucked a loose strand of long raven hair behind her ear as she waited for the door before her to open.

Sure enough the door opened just enough for the head of a middle-aged woman to peek through its' hinges.

The young woman merely smiled at the much older woman, who she judged by the clothes to be the teacher, as she handed her registration form over.

"You are Mrs. Tomuki, am I correct?" The young woman said politely.

Mrs. Tomuki didn't answer her; too busy reading the younger woman's form and class schedule.

The older woman's large-spectacled eyes traveled up to met the raven-haired woman's indigo eyes. Her old, wrinkled face scrunched up as she begin to carefully scrutinize every part of the female student's facial features.

"Yes, I am." Mrs. Tomuki finally replied.

The teacher stepped back to open the door wider.

"Come on in and join the rest of the class." She said.

Lovely indigo eyes gleamed as their owner smiled before she adjusted her books in her arms and stepped inside.

-----------------------------------------

Silence greeted Aoshi's ears.

Curious as to what could cause his usually rowdy classmates to shut their mouths, Aoshi looked up as Mrs. Tomuki reentered the classroom followed by an unknown female clad in their university's school uniform.

As instructed by the teacher, the young woman stood at the center and turned her body so that she was facing them all.

At the corner of his eyes, Aoshi saw the love-struck looks on most of his male classmates' faces while the girls either gave friendly but indifferent smiles while the rest glared jealously and with envy at the new student.

He couldn't help but smirk. He wasn't interested in the opposite gender, aside from a _very_ special one whom he hadn't seen in a long time, but Aoshi could see that the young woman standing before them was blessed with a beauty that seemed almost ethereal.

Long raven hair tied into a high ponytail with an indigo ribbon that matched her unique eye color; contrasted well with her pale-porcelain like skin tone that flushed with the palest of pink as of the moment. She wore no visible make-up on her face and both of her eyelashes were naturally curled just as her well-sculpted nose and lush pink lips were real as well.

Also, the otherwise-tatty-looking school uniform did nothing to conceal her curvy body and long lithe legs. Aoshi guessed that the girl was an athlete or at least someone pro-active in sports.

"Damn, she's smoking." Aoshi heard one of his male classmates murmured followed by mutters of agreements by the other guys.

Aoshi frowned disapprovingly.

The young woman was gorgeous, he would have to admit, yet he wasn't interested in anyone else aside from _her._

The ebon-haired male almost smiled as the memory of _her _flashed in his mind.

How he missed her deeply.

As the memory subsided back into the depths of his brain, Aoshi focused his attention to the new student.

The young woman gave a shy smile, probably because of all the attention the class was giving to her, and it was then that a spark of recognition ignited in Aoshi's ice blue orbs.

'Hello," She started. "My name's…"

The whole class, as well as the new student, was startled as Aoshi suddenly stood abruptly from his desk; unmindful of his chair that fell to the titled floor with a deafening crash due to the ebon-haired man's haste to stand up.

"Kaoru?!" He yelled; his eyes slightly wide and the cold blue in them had dimmed into a clear sapphire.

_Kaoru… _

Aoshi repeated her name in his mind and if he had said it instead, everyone who knew him would've been shocked at how tender he spoke of her name.

Sano's own eyes widened as a feeling of familiarity cascade down his body, enveloping his whole being.

It was _her…_

----------------------------------

**_To be continued_**

Sapphire: Well? How was it? Did you guys like it? I really hoped that most of you do…

Anyways, I expect to see my email account flooded with your reviews. (At least I hoped so. Hohoho!)

Some of you guys may wonder: Where the heck is Kenshin?! Well, he'll be in the next chapter I promise…but if he'll have an interest in our Kaoru-chan…Well I'll just leave it to your imagination. (laughs evilly)

Remember the basic formula of all fanfictions: lots and lots of reviews (plus) happy Sapphire (equals) the next chapter!


	2. Meeting of Old Friends

AN: Yes, I do think that A/K is a great pairing…though I'm obsessed with K/K as well. (grins) btw, Happy Holidays!

**Special Thanks to everyone who reviewed!:**

**JBella; Orchidaceae; Bradybunch4529; Angel of lonelyness; Anonymous; Triste1; raine84; justagirl8225; BelleDayNight; WhiteRabbit5; WHAT; KaoruAoshi; Cherry; flaming-amber; hotohori :p; Rumor; pnaixrose; ha!; soul; goldmund; Babo; Hotoshi-Kid, Crescentstar**

Disclaimers: Do I own Rurouni Kenshin? Hmm…let me see (checks her bank account to find it empty) Nope, I don't.

**Yearnings of the Heart**

_Chapter Two: Meeting of old friends_

---------------------------

The teacher raised her eyebrow at Aoshi.

Out of all of her students, she certainly didn't expect the usually quiet and reserved young man standing before her to react in such a way.

But then again, life is always full of surprises.

Kaoru, meanwhile, blinked as she stared at her new classmate who seemed to know her.

She tilted her head slightly in confusion as she racked through her memories to see if she'd known the man before.

Her eyebrows furrowed together as Kaoru looked at the young man who had called out her name with a critical eye.

Her first impression is that he was tall…_very_ tall and had an athletic figure, lithe yet slightly muscular. The short ebon bangs of his hair couldn't hide the piercing gaze of his eyes which were a beautiful icy blue color.

Kaoru let her stare wandered down a well-sculpted nose to kissable lips that contrasted well with the man's proud chin and she then knew that this is not a man who could be taken down so easily. The broadness of his shoulders coupled with his straightforward posture only gave more emphasis to the intimidating nature this man seemed to radiate throughout his whole being.

All in all, to say that the young man before her is handsome would be an understatement. If Kaoru would have to state it like those used in sugary-sweet and unrealistic romance novels, she would say that the man seemed more of a god then a human being.

Knowing that she was staring a little too much, Kaoru hid a blush and gazed her eyes up to the man's face.

She noticed an uncertain glint flickering in the man's ice blue eyes and Kaoru frowned.

Kaoru could've sworn that she'd seen that same look in the eyes of someone else.

Someone who she'd known for a very long time...

Mrs. Tomuki didn't noticed the staring contest going on between the two and coughed, drawing the attention of the whole class as she addressed the young man.

"Mr. Shinomori…" She started and Kaoru heard nothing else.

Her body went still and her mind seemed to shut down as Kaoru registered who the young man really is and why he looked so familiar. It was like a bucket full of ice-cold water was splashed in her face, surprising yet delightful.

"Aoshi?" Kaoru's soft voice carried a tone of uncertainty.

For all she knew, her assumptions could be wrong.

But then again, how could he have known her first name then?

Then, a small smile began to play across the young man's lips and Kaoru knew right there that he was indeed Aoshi.

--------------------------------------------

For what had seemed like an eternity to the two were barely a few minutes of silence to the others.

Mrs. Tomuki had opened her mouth, ready to demand an explanation from Aoshi, when it was the new student's turn to surprise her.

"Aoshi?" Everyone could hear the new student murmur.

Mrs. Tomuki raised an eyebrow as she turned her neck to glance at the raven-haired young woman.

In doing so, she missed the rare smile that etched on Aoshi's face.

However, it didn't go unnoticed by two pairs of eyes other than Kaoru's.

One pair was the color of brown chocolate while the second glint a shadowy emerald hue.

--------------------------------------------

Sano propped his elbow on the surface of his desk and tucked his knuckles beneath his chin.

He let a slow smile etch its' way in his face.

It seemed that whatever the circumstances, old friends will always meet again one time in the future.

Truly.

--------------------------------------------

Misao narrowed her eyes as she stared, more like glared, at the new student in suspicion.

How did she know Lord Aoshi? Rather, how did Aoshi-same know her for the matter?

Something in her gut told Misao to be cautious towards the raven-haired young woman standing before them all.

The new student had seemed to obtain Aoshi-sama's attention too soon…

And damn her if she'd lie that she isn't jealous.

----------------------------------------------------

"Ms. Kamiya, do you know Mr. Shinomori?" asked Mrs. Tomuki.

Aoshi resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the teacher.

Frankly, it was pretty damn obvious to everyone with half a brain that they know each other.

But he didn't want to point this out to Mrs. Tomuki.

He gave an involuntary shiver; the woman can be a female version of the devil if she wanted to be.

"Yes." Kaoru had replied.

"We've known each other since we were children." She explained further, tossing a small smile at the ebon-haired man as she did so.

Aoshi wanted to frown at this statement but he gave a smirk instead.

His relationship with Kaoru when they were young was private with Sano being the only one who knew of it…and not by choice either.

He could understand why she answered the way she had and he would have done the same if he was in her position.

Yet, the knowledge of it didn't help to soothe the slight ache in his heart.

---------------------------------------------

Misao's ears perked up as she heard Kaoru's answer.

The young woman felt a smile creeping its' way across her lips.

So Kaoru was a childhood friend of her Aoshi-sama, eh?

Misao didn't know of Aoshi until she had gone to the same high school as he did. Thus, she didn't know how he was as a child.

As far as her contacts – people who she drilled and annoyed to get information about her Aoshi-sama – had told her, the young man was very secretive about his childhood years and would prefer not to talk about it

Even Sano, Aoshi's closest friend, didn't mention about Kaoru to her when she had managed to corner the brown-haired young man one time during their freshmen year at college.

However, on the bright side, Kaoru was heaven-sent. Since she must be awfully close with Aoshi-sama, judging by the way he had acted when he saw her, perhaps the raven-haired woman could help her in getting Aoshi to really notice her.

A mischievous smile lingered on her lips as a plan started to form at the back of her mind.

Yes, she would definitely asked Kaoru.

A certain part of her brain told Misao that there is a slight chance that Kaoru and Aoshi were _more_ than friends but she quickly shrug it off.

After all, friendships rarely turn into intimate relationships. Why should theirs' be any different?

--------------------------------------

"Since you two seem to know each other, I want you Mr. Shinomori to escort Ms. Kamiya to all of her classes and help her familiarize herself with the campus."

Mrs. Tomuki gazed at the ebon-haired young man with a look that left no room for argument.

Aoshi merely nodded his head.

"Yes, Mrs. Tomuki."

The veteran teacher's piercing eyes flashed.

"And put your chair back from the floor. Goodness! I never expected this kind of action from you Shinomori."

Aoshi had the grace to blush a pale pink and hurried to pull his chair up in its' proper position.

Kaoru covered her mouth to muffle a giggle while Sano merely smirked. The rest of the class staring at the whole scenario with (justified) looks of surprise on their faces.

It isn't everyday that the normally aloof and cold Aoshi Shinomori could make a blunder…or show emotions as well.

----------------------------------

As instructed by the teacher, Kaoru made her way to her seat which is at the back of the room.

Not wanting to make a scene, Kaoru merely gave a smile as she passed by Sano. The brown-haired young man returned the gesture with a two-finger salute and a wink.

However, as she was about to pass by Aoshi this time, Kaoru felt a hand sneakily brushed against hers and tucked something in her fist.

Kaoru glanced at the corner of her eyes to see Aoshi giving her a mysterious and somewhat sexy smile. (AN: (swoons))

Kaoru felt her cheeks heating up though she didn't know why, and shifted her eyes somewhere as she continued to walk towards her seat.

Although Aoshi could see the young woman's lips perking up to a shy smile. The ebon-haired young man shifted his head so that no one to see the smirk etched on his face.

-------------------------------------

Kaoru spied a vacant seat behind a young woman with dark hair pulled into a braid and emerald eyes.

As she sat down, the dark-haired female turned to face her and gave her a warm smile.

"Hi! My name's Makamichi Misao. Welcome to Tokyo University!" She chirped.

Kaoru couldn't help but smile at the perkiness of the other woman.

"Thanks and obviously, you know my name so…"

Both females shared a chuckle.

"So…where are you from?" Misao asked.

"Well…" Kaoru started. "I was born here in Japan but we moved to London when I was in high school because of my dad's job. We've just recently moved back to our old house here at Tokyo."

Misao's mouth formed a small 'o'.

"Is that so?" She paused. "How long have you known Aoshi-sama?"

Kaoru quirked an eyebrow at what Misao had called Aoshi.

'Aoshi-sama?' The raven-haired girl wondered.

Kaoru was about to open her mouth to answer the other girl's question when the teacher's voice stilled them both.

"Ms. Makamichi, would you please kindly refrain from interrogating our new student until class is finished? Surely even you can do a simple thing like keeping your mouth shut, can you?"

Both women blushed, though Misao's was evidently redder.

"Yes, Mrs. Tomuki." The dark-haired girl grumbled.

The teacher nodded her face before she turned her focus back on the blackboard, unmindful of Misao sticking her tongue out at her and wiggling her fingers at the sides of her head at the same time.

Kaoru couldn't help but let out a giggle when she saw the funny faces Misao made and for no reason, she closed her fist tighter.

Kaoru raised an eyebrow when she heard a slight crunching sound but it wasn't long before realization struck her.

Kami! She had nearly forgotten about it!

The raven-haired young woman opened her fist to find a slightly crumpled piece of paper. Careful to make sure that nobody else could see, Kaoru unfolded the note and quietly began to read the contents inside:

_Ru,_

_Meet me at the hallway after class and I'll show you around the campus. We have a lot of things to talk about, at least it seems that way to me. How about you?_

_I'm really sorry if I may seem rude but I can't help it._

_I miss you…so much._

_Always,_

_Shi_

Kaoru could feel the tears starting to swell up and blinked her eyes to stop them from flowing.

Just as well, it would be very weird to see someone crying with a happy smile on her face.

--------------------------------------

Aoshi peeked at the corner of his eyes at Kaoru and smiled when he saw her smile.

However, he too saw the tears that threaten to spill from her eyes and frowned at this.

He didn't like to see her cry, even when they were young and robust.

That is why he had always made a point as to make her happy all of the time. Even when Kaoru had moved away the summer before their first year which they were supposed to spend at the same high school together, Aoshi was there to comfort her and himself as well though he wouldn't admit it.

He'd loved her then and still do.

The real question is; did she still love him as well?

"Oi Aoshi," Sano's whisper broke the young man from his thoughts.

"What?" He hissed back, his ice blue eyes taking in an annoyed greenish hue.

Sano merely shrug off the unsaid threat in his ebon-haired friend's question.

"You remember that I met a friend when my family took a vacation in Italy last summer, don't you?"

At Aoshi's nod of agreement, the brown-haired young man continued.

"Well he's coming over here in Tokyo, sort of an exchange-student program or something like that. Anyways, guess which university he's going to attend here?"

Aoshi shrugged. He didn't really care that much about someone who he barely knew aside from the stories Sano told him about.

Sano's face broke into a huge grin. "Well he's attending our university for a whole year! I just got his email last night you know and he said that he'll be here tomorrow so…"

"What's his name?" Aoshi cut the other man off, knowing that his friend is going to start blabbering about the matter.

Sano scratched his head. "Eh, didn't I tell you his name already?"

Aoshi shrugged again. "I wasn't paying much attention to your chatter at the time." He admitted.

Sano turned red in mock-anger but replied just the same.

"His name's Kenshin, Kenshin Himura."

----------------------------------

Misao smiled as she glanced at Kaoru beside her. The dark-haired girl had managed to convince her previous seatmate to exchange seats so now the raven-haired, indigo-eyed girl is sitting at the left side of Misao.

Misao watched one last time at the beautiful girl who was taking down notes before she turned her neck to drift her eyes to the board, yet her mind was focused on something else.

Misao grinned. Yes, everything is going according to plan.

-----------------------------------

**_to be continued:_**

Sapphire: I'm really sorry that I didn't mention Kenshin in this chapter but he'll surely be introduced in the next chapter. Promise!

Anyway, this chapter didn't exactly go as I had planned so I don't like this one as much…but oh well! I hope you guys still enjoyed it.

Also, Misao may seem like a manipulative bitch but she will soon grow to appreciate Kaoru as a real friend in the future chapters.

Don't forget to review! Click the 'submit review' button and make this crazy gal happy, okies? Hohoho! (winks)

Replies:

1.) I didn't know if the universities in Japan require students to wear uniforms or not so I just based it from ours' here in my country. (Stupid I know.) I'm really sorry if I had offended anybody who goes to Tokyo University (Frankly, I don't even know if there is such a place… (chuckles).

2.) Ummm…sorry but I'm not much of a fast updater…I tend to get lazy from time to time. Hohoho! But don't worry! I'll try my best to write the next chapters faster.

3.) Yes, Aoshi does seem a little OCC but it fits in my story so there! (winks) If you want Aoshi as who he really is, check out my other fic, "The Choices That We Make". It's A/K/K with Kaoru as the heart of the triangle. (grins wickedly)

4.) Some of you felt sorry for Misao…Don't worry people! If the majority of you like to pair Misao up with someone, I'll do that though this fic will still be primarily focused on A/K. (smiles)


	3. Mixed Feelings

AN: (looks at astonished readers) Yes, people I'm still alive. I just haven't updated since these past few months have been too much stressful for me…But the important thing is that I'm back neh? (smiles)

Note2: I hate these line breaks...humph! (grumbles)

Warning: slight Sano-bashing (not that I don't like him it's just that I find him cute when he's mad…Hohoho! (smiles wickedly)) and a hint of Misao-bashing as well. Also a bit of naughtiness but not enough to make it above PG people!

**Special Thanks to everyone who reviewed:**

**abubi****-chan; JBella; MEEEEe; goldmund; justagirl8225; pnaixrose; ForMeToKnowAndForYouToNeverFindOut; Bradybunch4529; catti-dono; mistressofhyde; (sorry your name can't be read); raine84; Readit's; Hiei's.punk.rocker.girl; Ann; Queen of Kei; Dargorwen of Ithilien; hotohori P; Triste1; cutiema-chan; sesshomaruobsessed; Clemen; Mori'quessir; Anonymous**

**

* * *

**

**Yearnings of the Heart**

_Chapter three: Mixed Feelings_

* * *

Kaoru laughed merrily as Sano told her another one of his jokes. 

Sano grinned. "Ha! See? I knew that I would make you laugh." He said triumphantly, puffing out his chest in male pride.

Aoshi's face remained passive, although the slight twitching of his eyebrow could be seen if one looks closely.

Even though Sano – unfortunately – is his friend and Kaoru's as well, Aoshi still couldn't help but be irritated and annoyed by the male brunette.

_-flashback-_

_Slender arms wrapped themselves around Aoshi from behind and the ebon-haired man stilled a shiver as he felt a soft and supple body pressing against his back._

_Aoshi had no doubt as to whose hug he is currently being the recipient of._

_Taking hold of the hands clasped on his waist, Aoshi relished for a few seconds in silent fascination at the softness of Kaoru's hands against his own rough ones._

_Reluctantly, Aoshi gently pried himself from Kaoru's hold and turned around, moving his arms so as to avoid Kaoru twisting hers into an odd angle._

_A small smile etched on Aoshi's lips as he fondly gazed down at the young woman before him. _

_Nosy passersby were shocked by what the normally cold and reserved Aoshi Shinomori did next. _

_Unmindful of the stares sent their way, Aoshi hugged Kaoru with such intensity that it looked like Kaoru was suffocating._

_But she wasn't really, in fact Kaoru even giggled at her long-time friend's antics._

_Aoshi had always been overprotective of her, ever since they were kids._

_Kaoru sighed and snuggled deeper into the ebon-haired man's strong embrace. She inhaled the familiar musky scent of the forest and rain and a smile crossed her lips._

_"I'd missed you Shi." Kaoru murmured, her voice muffled by the fabric of Aoshi's shirt._

_Aoshi bent his head down, his mouth nearly brushing against the top of the young woman's head. The scent of soothing jasmine filtered his senses and Aoshi smiled, the gesture hidden by Kaoru's raven locks._

_Now's finally the time to ask her the question Aoshi had wanted for so long to ask._

_Taking a deep breath, Aoshi opened his mouth, the words just barely came out went another voice interrupted, destroying the peacefulness of the atmosphere._

_"Hey Aoshi! Stop hogging Jou-chan to yourself. Can't you see that I want to greet her too?"_

_Aoshi snapped his head up to stare at the grinning Sano who had his arms crossed against his chest._

_Aoshi frowned when he felt Kaoru stepping away from him to turn to Sano. _

_"Hey Sano," Kaoru smiled at her brown-haired friend. She was oblivious to the icy glare Aoshi tossed at Sano nor did she hear the angry growl emitting from the said ebon-haired man._

_Sano visibly gulped, reconsidering his previous actions._

_-end flashback-_

Kaoru rolled her indigo eyes good-naturedly. "Yeah right," she scoffed.

"Your jokes are so cheesy that all of the mice are overweight from eating them up." said the raven-haired girl in a teasing voice.

It was Sano's turn to scoff. "Like you're any better."

WHACK!

Sano rubbed the sore spot on his head from where Kaoru had punched him.

"What did you do that for! Damn my head hurts!" He muttered.

Kaoru gave a smirk. "Oh stop complaining Sano." She replied. "It was only one punch."

Sano grumbled unintelligible words underneath his breath. Kaoru held a hand behind her ear, "What's that Sano? I can't hear you." She said playfully.

Sano frowned but it wasn't long before a smirk crept its way to his lips.

"Well at least I don't have to crank my neck just to look up at people." He said.

Kaoru's eyebrow suddenly twitched. "Hey! I grew taller just to let you know! It's not my fault that you just happened to be a tall giant of a man who took too much calcium as a kid!"

Sano grinned. "Then, are you saying that Aoshi is an overdosed-calcium-taking freak as well?"

Aoshi shot the other man a look, what is Sano trying to pull?

Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Aoshi's Aoshi, you on the other hand…"

She paused for awhile before she smiled mischievously. "Just how much gunk of gel did you put in your hair Sano to get it to look like a rooster's?" Kaoru asked.

"Oh about half a g…hey!"

Kaoru giggled at the offended look on Sano's face but it wasn't long before he began to laugh along as well. Aoshi even smirked, having been caught in the mood.

When the laughter died down, Aoshi chose to speak.

"What's your next class Ru?" He asked Kaoru.

Kaoru tapped a finger to her temple, trying to remember her schedule.

"Ugh, I think it was gym…" She murmured, mostly to herself.

"No kidding? Youchida-Sensei?" piped up another voice, surprising Kaoru and Sano. Aoshi just merely raised an eyebrow.

"Misao!" Kaoru scolded the other young woman who had seemed to magically appear right behind them.

Kaoru held a hand to her heart. "Don't ever sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry Kaoru-chan," Misao apologized. She turned her gaze to both men, though her eyes faltered longer than necessary at Aoshi.

"Hey, Rooster-head, Aoshi-sama." The dark-haired young woman greeted them both.

Aoshi grunted in reply while Sano said, "Hey yourself Weasel."

POW!

Sano nursed the newly-given bump on his head, strangely identical to the other bruise Kaoru gave him herself.

Aoshi smirked openly while Kaoru smothered a giggle by coughing.

Misao smiled evilly. "Now it's even." She said, indicating the twin bumps sported on each side of Sano's head.

Misao ignored Sano's glare and instead turned to look at Kaoru. "So Kaoru-chan, are you under Youchida-Sensei?" She asked again.

Kaoru nodded her head yes.

To her surprise, Kaoru soon found herself being half-dragged by an overly-enthusiastic Misao.

"Come' on Kaoru." Misao said as she pulled the raven-haired girl along with her.

"We can't be late! Sir Youchida is not a guy you'd want to piss off."

Meanwhile, both Sano and Aoshi blinked as the two women seemed to have disappeared, only the clinking of their shoes proving that they were indeed running and not teleporting.

"That was fast…" murmured Sano as he continued to gaze down at the spot where Kaoru once occupied.

Aoshi slightly frowned. He knew that Kaoru had the right to choose who her friends are but...he didn't like the look on Makamichi's eyes.

She's up to something and Aoshi intended to find out what it is…for Kaoru's sake.

* * *

Kaoru panted heavily and placed her hands upon her wobbly knees for support. She had just run the final lap and she was exhausted. 

True to Misao's words, Sir Youchida had made them run an extra two miles since they were both late.

Usually Kaoru wouldn't mind the extra training, seeing as how athletic she is, but the stress of moving and getting into a new, unknown school left her drained.

Kaoru smiled. At least she got to meet her old friends again, especially Aoshi.

Her smile turned into a small frown. Just what is she to Aoshi? A friend? Or maybe still something more…

Kaoru stood upright, a serious look settled on her features.

She doubted it. After all, didn't they both decide to call the whole thing off? That a long-distance relationship wouldn't work out?

Yet this didn't stop Kaoru from feeling a slight pang in her heart. Seeing Aoshi again; now a tall, handsome and beautifully built, broad shoulders and all, man instead of the once shy and sweet (well at least to her) lean-muscular young lad Kaoru had remembered; was truly a blessing.

Indeed Kaoru had missed him so much and admittedly, a part of her still loves him…

But.

Kaoru didn't have the chance to evaluate her feelings for her ice-blue-eyed friend any further as Misao came within sight.

The emerald-eyed woman groaned, her head bowed and her shoulders humped back, as she dragged her dirt-encrusted sneakers into the path before making a final stop next to Kaoru.

Seeing Misao this close brought up another memory in Kaoru's mind.

_-flashback-_

_"So are you and Aoshi-sama…?"_

_Misao let her voice trail off. Kaoru blinked in confusion but soon blushed as she realized just what Misao is trying to say._

_Kaoru shook her head vigorously. "No, it's not like that. We're just really close friends." She lied._

_Kaoru must have said the right thing because Misao's face brightened up and she grinned happily._

_"Alright then." She chirped._

_Kaoru didn't comment. She was confused._

_So utterly confused_

_-end flashback-_

"I am so tired!" Misao complained, leaning her exhausted body against Kaoru's.

Lost in her thoughts, the sudden addition of weight was unexpected to Kaoru, almost causing her to fall down altogether with Misao but her reflexes were quick and Kaoru put more force in her legs to support them both.

Locks of Misao's dark hair, loosen from its braid, tickled Kaoru's neck as her emerald-eyed companion placed her head upon the indigo-eyed woman's shoulder.

Both women stood that way for a while, until Kaoru started to feel her legs getting cramped from staying too long in the same position.

Fortunately, Kaoru was spared from asking Misao to move as Youchida-Sensei did the favor for her.

"What are you two doing lodging about? This is not a loitering area, you know. Get your asses back in line for push-ups before I make you move!" Youchida-Sensei yelled; his stern, no-nonsense look only rivaled by the dangerously throbbing pulse vein in his short, plump neck.

"Yes Sir!" Kaoru and Misao chorused before they hurried off to where their classmates are situated.

"You know, Youchida-Sensei needs to learn to relax. If he gets too mad one day, he'll pop that vein of his for sure." Misao whispered to Kaoru softly.

Both women laughed so hard that the rest of the class stared at them weirdly as they approached.

* * *

-later at the cafeteria- 

"I don't like it Sano, I don't like the fact that Makamichi's hanging out with Kaoru."

It was late afternoon, the orange sun was being to set down, and most of the students had already gone home or to their dorms, their classes finished. Aoshi and Sano sat on a table inside the nearly-deserted cafeteria, both waiting for Kaoru since her last class still hadn't ended.

"You're just sour because you haven't had the chance to talk to Jou-chan since physics class." Sano replied as he took out the sandwich he bought from the cafeteria lady and unwounded its' wrapper.

Aoshi was supposed to accompany Kaoru to her classes but it seemed that a certain Misao Makamichi had taken the honor to escort Kaoru instead.

And that irked Aoshi.

The ebon-haired man was silent as Sano happily munched on his sandwich, the latter recoiling a bit when he tasted vegetables. Sano hated them.

He shrugged. Oh well. Megumi always complained that he should eat more greenery; he can handle eating one veggie sandwich.

After drowning his food with a can of Coke, Sano added as an after-thought.

"Weasel girl's not so bad once you get to know her."

Aoshi frowned. "I have nothing against the girl except that she's…"

"A psychopathic stalker who is absolutely crazy about you?" Sano suggested.

"Exactly."

Sano took out a plastic of home-baked cookies (courtesy of Megumi). Taking one, he bit off a piece.

"Want some? They're chocolate." Sano mumbled in between mouthfuls, holding the plastic bag closer to Aoshi.

Aoshi waved his hand negatively. "No thanks." He answered.

"Shi prefers the oatmeal ones Sano, you should know that by now." A familiar voice spoke from behind the two men.

Both turned and smiled in greeting as Kaoru came within view. Though Aoshi's turned into a scowl when he spotted who was beside the raven-haired young woman.

'Makamichi.' He thought venomously.

"Hey Aoshi-sama," Misao greeted him cheerfully, a huge grin on her face.

Aoshi responded with a grunt, his eyes narrowing into piercing blue-green stilts. Unconsciously, Misao shuddered at how Aoshi's eyes changed from an icy blue to a stone cold blue-green.

Although she found it sexy, it still looked a bit eerie to the dark-haired young woman.

"You know, both of you don't have to wait for me. I'm a big girl; I can take care of myself."

Misao broke from her trance at the sound of Kaoru's voice. Hesitant to turn her gaze from the magnificent male before her, Misao craned her neck to glance at her indigo-eyed friend.

Sano was about to reply when Aoshi stood up to his full height.

"It has been a long time since you've been in Japan, Ru." He told the young woman.

"A lot of things have changed; they are not the same as they were when you last stepped in Japanese ground years ago."

Sano covered his ears, fully expecting Kaoru to turn red and blow up. Instead he heard nothing.

Risking the wrath of an enraged Kaoru, Sano opened his eyes slowly. To his actual surprise, instead of the rabid raccoon-human hybrid he'd concocted in his imagination, Kaoru was silent and looked to be in deep thought.

After a short pause of tensed silence, Kaoru finally spoke up.

"Yes, a lot of things have changed, didn't they?" She softly murmured, her indigo eyes clouding into a midnight blue hue.

Then, as quick as lightning, the grin reappeared itself on Kaoru's face and her eyes were back in their original indigo color.

Grabbing a slightly surprised Aoshi by the hand, Kaoru said.

"I guess it's time you show me just how much my home as changed, huh?" She asked in between giggles.

Kaoru tugged Aoshi closer to her, taking Misao's hand with her other one at the same time so that both of them are now between Kaoru.

Kaoru winked playfully at Sano.

"Any suggestions Sano?" She asked him.

Sano grinned. "Well how about the Expo (1) then?" He suggested.

Kaoru's eyes brightened. "Yeah! I haven't played pool (2) for a long time now."

Sano smirked. "An advantage to me then."

It was Kaoru's turn to smirk. "I may have gotten a little rusty Sano but that'll soon change."

Sano waved off Kaoru's words, clearly feeling unthreatened by the woman.

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't cry when I beat you, alright?"

Aoshi smiled devilishly, as if he had a huge secret that he himself only knows.

Misao listened at the two's exchange in slight awe and curiosity. Then she smirked.

She bet her money on Kaoru-chan, no doubt about it.

* * *

Kaoru hummed to herself as she dried her wet hair with a white towel. She was currently dressed in blue-green silk pajamas that hugged and flattered her figure. Her skin still had that rosy flush from the warm bath she took but Kaoru didn't mind. 

Kaoru grinned as she remembered a scene from earlier at the Expo.

_-flashback-_

_"Oh man!" whined Sano as Kaoru knocked the 15th ball into one of the sockets, thereby winning the game._

_"Alright Kaoru-chan! You're awesome!" Misao praised, clapping wildly and even hooting._

_Sano grumbled complaints underneath his breath, mumbling something about hyperactive weasels and damn gifted raccoons._

_Kaoru laughed as Sano couldn't take Misao blabber anyone and bickered at her, leading to a verbal fight._

_Unbeknownst to the raven-haired female, Aoshi had stood up from the stool he was sitting on. _

_Feeling a tap on her shoulder, Kaoru turned around to see Aoshi, his own pool stick grasped in his hand._

_A challenging gleam darkened his ice blue eyes as Aoshi asked._

_"Ready to go for another round?" _

_Kaoru smirked playfully. "Are you kidding? I was born to be ready for anything." She answered._

_Aoshi merely nodded his head, and signaled for one of the Expo employees to gather all of the balls for another game. He would've preferred to do it himself but it was against the club's rules._

_Kaoru felt her eyes drifted to Aoshi's backside and was again reminded that her ebon-haired friend had a nice body…_

_…and a very nice piece of ass._

_-end flashback-_

Kaoru fanned her face, trying to cool down the red blush that crept to her cheeks at the memory.

'Better not go any further Kaoru girl.' She told herself.

Besides, Aoshi just a friend, isn't he?

Kaoru nodded her head. "Yeah just a friend," she grumbled, not really knowing why her voice sounded unconvincing.

Hanging her towel at the towel rack, Kaoru grabbed a large comb lying on her sink stand and slowly began to tangle the knots out of her long hair. After a few minutes of stroking her hair neat and semi-straight, Kaoru was done.

Spying her school uniform on the laundry pile, Kaoru wrinkled her nose in distaste. Thank goodness she was only required to wear the blasted thing on the first day.

Bending down to pick up the laundry basket, Kaoru lifted it up with one arm and opened her bathroom door with the other.

Her feet bare, Kaoru glided across her large bedroom with the intention to drop off her soiled clothes at the laundry room when a discreet beeping sound emitted and a mechanic voice was heard.

"You've got mail." The voice said.

Kaoru gently placed her basket on the carpeted floor and made her way to her desk. Pulling up a chair, Kaoru sat on it and moved the mouse button of her laptop to the 'New Message' sign and clicked 'Open'.

A wide smile crept up on her lips as she read the email message. Kaoru re-read it a few more times to get every detail right and finally let out a squeal of happiness.

"This is great!" She exclaimed happily. Kaoru moved her arrow key to the reply button and was about to click it when she remembered that she still had a chore to do.

Stifling a soft groan, Kaoru stood up from her chair and picked up her basket of dirty clothes, though there was a skip in her steps when she moved to open her door and walked down the hallway towards the basement.

Meanwhile, the laptop's screen was still on and the email remained undeleted and open. Obviously Kaoru had forgotten to minimize her laptop's window screen.

**To my dear Kitten, **

**How are you? It's been a long time since we've last saw each other, don't you think? I know you miss me terribly and to tell you the truth, I feel the same way.**

**Your parents told me that you're in ****Japan**** right now, living in your old house in fact. Aren't you scared to be there alone in that big mansion? Such an independent, tough girl you are indeed my Kitten.**

**Anyway, the real reason I'm asking you this is because…Hold on to your seat…I'm coming there to Japan as well!**

**Smiling right now, aren't you? Well of course you would be! (grins) But that's not all… I'm attending your school there for a whole year because of some exchange program or something like that…Didn't know they'd still do those kinds of things. What's the name of your, oh pardon me _our _college then? ****Tokyo****University**** isn't it?**

**Well I better finish up; my cousin here's killing me with his whining because he wants to use the PC as well (rolls eyes). **

**Hope to hear from you soon then. I'll be flying from ****Italy**** to ****Japan**** later this evening so I better pack my stuff and get some rest then. I should probably arrive there in ****Tokyo**** early tomorrow morning.**

**I'm really excited to see you again Kaoru, I wanted to see just how much my feisty kitten has grown up.**

**Take care 'till then! I don't want you to pretty yourself up just for little ole me…(laughs)**

**Forever always,**

**Kenshin**

**_

* * *

_**

**_to be continued_**

Sapphire: Yey! Kenshin's finally coming. (laughs evilly) Well this should be fun… (grins wolfishly) Personally, I don't really know why everyone thinks that my fic has a love triangle…Hmm…Also, Aoshi doesn't seem to like Misao does he? Poor Misao! (sighs)

Tune in for the next chapter then. I'll be updating a lot faster now since school ended. Remember, don't be a stranger and give me more of those fantastic reviews. I simply love them just as much as I adore my readers/reviewers. (smiles)

Or else…

Daemon: Rowf! (bares his sharp fangs out at the readers)

**Extra Info: **

(1) The Expo is a real billiard place near the college where I study. Expo's not it's real name but everyone calls it like that. Dunno why though...

(2) For the benefit of those who don't know, 'pool' is another term for billiards. It is also known as 'pool table' sometimes by a few people.


	4. Mishaps in Class and Ill Omens

Sapphire: Yes! Finally, I've finished a chapter! Wohoo! (dances merrily) So sorry for the late update guys. I was pretty busy with school and all that I hardly got the chance to think of something, let alone right.

**Special Thanks to Everyone who reviewed! You guys rock:  
**

**White Rabbit Tale; Anonymous; han; ariel; pnaixrose; Readit's; Moriquessir; Queen of Kei; Clemen; Punkey-Monkey; abubi-chan; serenity77; kuhu; 2 lazy 2 sign in; cutiema-chan; Crystal Winds; sesshomaruobsessed; Hiei's.punk.rocker.girl; GreenEyedFloozy; Ann; Lathayan; Bloody Shinobi; Triste1; -DeathScythe07-; Massao-na-Mizu; AzngrlQT; blooded wyngs; Athena05; Fountain of Combodian Bliss; sprout-angel; Kura-sama**

Note: Some scenes in this chapter are Rated M due to strong language and minor violence. Read at your own choice.**  
**

**

* * *

**

**Yearnings of the Heart**

_Chapter Four: Mishaps in Class and Ill Omens

* * *

_

A shrill beeping sound emitted from the intercom and an almost electronic female voice said casually at the same time the "SEATBELTS ON" sign flashed on.

"To our dear passengers, please take your seats as the plane is preparing to land. Thank you."

A second beep followed the voice before the digital signboard turned off and the intercom went silent.

Kenshin Himura had glanced up from his reading when he heard the stewardess giving the instructions. Shutting the book, he placed it on top of his tray and rubbed his dreary eyes.

Stifling a yawn, he ran a hand through his tousled deep red hair and stretched his arms and shoulders, stopping only when he heard the tiny sharp snap of dislocated muscles returning to their proper place.

A contented smile on his lips, Kenshin moved to gather his things and tucked them neatly inside his backpack.

Done with his preparations, Kenshin made himself comfortable and leaned back in his seat. Turning his head, he gazed out at the window and his purple, almost of lilac color, eyes took in the sight of the large runway of Tokyo, Japan's International Airport.

His smile grew wide with excitement before it morphed into a roguish smirk.

'It won't be long now.' He thought to himself.

**X-x-X-x-X**

"Kaoru-chan! You've been hurt!" Misao's voice nearly surprised Kaoru out of her chair.

The indigo-eyed girl snapped her gaze up from her notes and found herself almost nose-to-nose with her friend whose emerald stare was directed at somewhere in Kaoru's right.

Kaoru followed the other girl's gaze and saw that Misao had been staring at her band-aided right index finger.

"Oh. It's nothing to worry about Misao-chan. It's only a small cut." Kaoru reassured her friend.

Misao cocked up an eyebrow. "You sure?" She asked in a worried tone.

Kaoru nodded her head, smiling at her new friend's overreacting. "Positive. I was doing my homework last night when I made an accident."

_-flashback-_

"_Ouch!"_

_Swearing under her breath, Kaoru stood up from her study table and hurried towards the bathroom. Once there, she turned on the sink and gently rinsed her bleeding finger, patting it dry with a towel afterwards. Opening the medicine cabinet, Kaoru took out a pack of band-aids. Taking one, she tore it open and carefully bound it around her injured finger all the while shaking her head in dismay._

"_Who knew a paper cut could be so stingy?" She murmured to herself._

_However, Kaoru couldn't shake off the thought that it was an omen of some sorts._

_-end flashback-_

"Well that's good then. I wouldn't want to see Shinomori-sama go psycho again like he did in high school." Misao replied, shaking her head no while doing so.

This time, it was Kaoru who arched up an eyebrow at this. "What!" She said alarmingly.

Misao realized her mistake and quickly added. "Eh, it's nothing to worry about. I was just overreacting. I always seem to make a bigger deal out of things than they really are. Stupid of me neh?" Misao giggled in an attempt to pass it off as a funny joke.

Kaoru managed to give a dry chuckle at her friend's antics, hiding her unsettling thoughts about Misao's revelation. She would have to ask Aoshi or Sano about what Misao said.

Her giggles subsided, Misao's face turned serious. "Do you know Kaoru-chan that some people say that an accidental wound is a sign of bad omen?"

Kaoru nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, but it's just a superstition."

To herself, Kaoru silently continued. 'But why can't I shake off this ill feeling that something bad is going to happen?'

**X-x-X-x-X**

Students were quick to move out of the ebon-haired stoic man's way as he walked briskly down the hall with his tall brunette friend right behind his heels.

"Woah, cool off will you Aoshi? I admit, the guy was a jerk but it doesn't mean that you should…"

A sharp glance silenced the brunette who'd been trying to reason with the other male. "I know what he was trying to do Sano and my actions were just and reasonable." Aoshi icily replied.

Sano tossed his friend a disbelieved look. "You call what you did 'reasonable'? Hell man, that guy looked like he was about to pee right there on the spot."

Aoshi shrugged his broad shoulders. "It's not my problem that he can't handle a simple warning."

Sano shook his head in dismay as his mind trailed back to the incident.

_-flashback- (Warning: Strong language here. If you're under the appropriate age, you can skip this part.)_

"_Hey Shinomori." An unfamiliar voice called out to Aoshi as he was quietly reading a mystery novel Sano had lent him._

_Aoshi lifted his eyes from the paragraphs of his book and found Kiyoshi Taka, popular football jock and a well-known ladies' man, standing right before his desk with a grin printed on his tanned face._

_The sophomore lifted an eyebrow in question. "What are you doing here in a sophomore's class Kiyoshi? Aren't you supposed to be a junior or has the school grading system held you back for one more year?"_

_Kiyoshi's handsome face scrunched up and turned red in anger though the older man quickly replaced it with a forced laugh as his face turned to it normal tanned-shade._

"_Well, who would've ever thought that Shinomori Aoshi could be a closet joker?" He said in a joking manner, his green eyes twinkling with fake enthusiasm._

"_As it happens, I am a junior and…"_

"_So what are you doing here Kiyoshi?" Aoshi interrupted the other man, not caring if he was rude. Today's class was a study period since the professor is absent and he wanted to get some reading done before it ends._

_Kiyoshi's fists clenched tightly and Aoshi merely ignored it. If words come to fists, he could take Kiyoshi down. Although the other man was a bit taller and bulky compared to Aoshi, he was faster and smarter._

"_I heard from the school gossips that you're friends with the new girl, Kamiya Kaoru."_

_Aoshi's body immediately tensed. Besides him, he could actually sensed Sano sitting up straight in his seat._

_Aoshi's ice blue eyes locked directly with Kiyoshi's as he coolly answered. "Why would you want to know?"_

"_I hear that she's hot and half-blooded."_

_Aoshi's cocked eyebrow rose higher. "Half-blooded? Someone's been watching too many Harry Potter DVD movies at home."_

_Kiyoshi frowned and Aoshi could see that the older man's patience was starting to wear thin. Well it's not like his wasn't either, he was just more silent about it._

"_You know what I mean dude. I mean that she's half-Asian and half-European."_

"_Kiyoshi, you better tell me your real reason for disturbing me right now before I lose my patience and throw you out."_

_By now, everyone in class had focused their attention on the two men. Silence fell across the room as the audience waited with bated breath for Kiyoshi Taka to reply._

_Kiyoshi straightened his shoulders to a point that Sano thought the man's back would break._

_Kiyoshi's green eyes were smoldering in impatient anger as he coolly answered. "I was wondering if you could introduce me to her."_

_Although Aoshi knew who 'her' meant, he pretended to misunderstand and asked. "Who is 'her'?"_

_Kiyoshi's patience snapped and he slammed his fist down hard on Aoshi's desk. Several of the girls gasped with fright while the guys readied themselves for a possible fight._

"_You know who the hell I mean. I'm talking about Kamiya Kaoru, you imbecile!" He spat sharply on Aoshi's face._

_Aoshi's face remained blank but his eyes were turning into a blue-greenish hue. "Oh, and precisely what do you want with her?"_

"_I want to ask her out that's what! But since she's probably your fuck toy, I'll just go straight to the point and hump her instead. You wouldn't mind that, would you? After all, she means no–.."_

_Whatever Kiyoshi had to say was cut off as Aoshi leaped to his feet and landed a straight uppercut to the junior's jaw, knocking him off his feet._

'_Sweet Kami!' Sano thought to himself amidst the screams and yells of his classmates. Wanting no one outside to hear the commotion, Sano quickly silenced the noisy audience with a prominent "Shut up!"_

_Noticing some of the guys moving forward to join the upcoming fight, Sano loudly cracked his knuckles and sent them a warning look that stopped them in their tracks._

_Aoshi didn't even notice the scene behind him. He focused his blue-green gaze on the dark-haired man beneath him._

_Kiyoshi was holding his aching jaw with his hand. Blood started to leak out from the corners of his mouth as he threw a heated gaze at the tall sophomore above him._

_Aoshi's voice was as cold as the artic winds as he glanced down at the fallen man. "Don't you ever speak of such things about Kaoru, do you understand me? If ever I hear you spreading such nonsense about her, I swear that I will find you and break ever one of your bones. Are we clear?" _

_When Kiyoshi failed to response, Aoshi reached down, grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up with frightening ease so that they were nose-to-nose._

"_I said, are we clear on that?" Aoshi practically growled out the words. Unbeknownst to him, his eyes had turned a menacing blue-green entirely, giving him a frightful appearance._

_Kiyoshi's green eyes grew wide and numbly nodded his head in agreement. He was smart enough to know when to surrender and quit. He knew he didn't have a chance against the sophomore when he was this angry, based from the rumors that shrouded around Shinomori like a mist._

_However, the rumor about Shinomori's madness was the primary reason why he didn't want to deal with the younger man unprepared and in front of so many potential witnesses._

"_Good." Aoshi curtly murmured at the same time the bell ranged._

_Releasing his grip on the older man, Aoshi let him fell with a thud and turned his back to face Sano who had a grimed face._

"_Let's go Sano. We don't want to be late for the next class."_

_Ignoring the wounded Kiyoshi, Aoshi grabbed his book and tucked it in the hook of his arm while he slung his bag over his shoulder with the other._

_As he and Sano headed for the door, Aoshi's cool voice emitted._

"_I hope you remember what I've said Kiyoshi. I wouldn't want to have to repeat myself. Good day."_

"_You should get a nurse to look at your jaw Kiyoshi. It looks nasty." Sano suggested, his tone of voice showing less concern then his choice of words do._

_With that, both men walked out of the door, leaving Kiyoshi lying on the floor behind._

_-end flashback-_

Sano sighed. "You know that Kaoru wouldn't like that you had been in a fight, especially if it's for her honor, when she finds out."

Aoshi shrugged his shoulders. "I don't intend for her to find out."

Sano's eyes widened in shock. "What!" He shouted in disbelief at his friend.

Aoshi let out a soundless sigh. "I know that I shouldn't do it."

"Damn right you shouldn't!" Aoshi's piercing glare cut off Sano's rant.

"I'll tell her when the right time comes, alright? In the meantime, I suggest you keep quiet about it. I don't want her to know right now, especially since it has barely been a week since she came here. With all of the pressure of moving in and all, I don't want to add up to her list of worries."

Sano blinked once. Blinked twice. Then he rubbed his eyes and blinked yet again. Finally, he gave out a short laugh.

"That has got to be the longest I have heard from you since junior high. I'm surprised that you aren't panting with weariness." He jokingly said.

Despite his adopted nature, Aoshi gave a chuckle at Sano's words. It was true that he hadn't spoke for so long a sentence. Perhaps Kaoru had something to do with it.

Sano's smile turned into a wicked smirk. "Rules aside, I think it was great what you did with Kiyoshi earlier."

Aoshi replied with a smirk of his own but made no comment.

Sano's face turned pale with unease as he continued.

"I hope you don't tell Kaoru that I haven't stopped you from fighting if ever you do tell her. I don't want a raccoon-girl with her hands around my neck, trying to wring it off my shoulders."

Passerby gaped at them as Aoshi did the next unexpected thing everyone thought he would do. He laughed.

**X-x-X-x-X**

"Hey Kaoru what's up?"

Kaoru glanced up and saw Sano and Aoshi entering the room.

"Hey Sano, Shi. What took you guys so long?" She asked as the two men walked over to them. In this class, they were allowed to choose where they want to sit down.

"It was nothing. We just had a little mishap." Aoshi replied as he took the seat beside Kaoru while Sano took the one in front of Kaoru.

Sano shrugged off the concerned look Kaoru cast at them. "Eh, it's no big deal Jou-chan. The class just took a little longer to finish, that's all."

Kaoru cast them a disbelieving look but made no comment. "Oh alright."

Sano looked to his left, then to his right. "Where's Weasel anyway? Isn't she supposed to be in this class too?"

"I'm right here you idiot! And who are you calling a Weasel, Rooster-head?" Misao wailed angrily from behind them.

A bickering fight soon occurring between the two with Kaoru trying to make peace with them while Aoshi leaned back in his seat, watching the scene before him with a smirk on his face.

**X-x-X-x-X**

"We've arrived Sir." The driver's British-accented voice from the limousine's communicator broke Kenshin from his thoughts.

"Ah, thank you James." He replied, finally realizing that they had indeed stopped.

"Shall I open the door for you Sir?"

Kenshin shook his head but remembered that James couldn't see him due to the tinted window that separated the driver from the passenger.

"No, it's alright James. I'll just let myself out."

"If you wish Sir."

Kenshin opened the door and quickly got out of his car. Glancing up at the tall majestic building that was his family's country house, he smiled as the golden mahogany doors opened and a tall Japanese man wearing a black suit and white tie, as is the unofficial uniform of butlers worldwide, stepped out and joined him in the driveway.

"Good morning Sir. My name is Osui. I trust that you had a pleasant trip?" The man asked in fluent English.

Kenshin nodded his head. "Yes, it was quite enjoyable." He answered back in well-accented English.

"Shall I have the errand boys get your bags and the cook fix an early lunch for you?" The butler inquired.

Kenshin glanced at his gold-plated Rolex watch. His kitten should still be in school right now and would be so until four in the afternoon.

"Yes, that would be nice, Osui." He finally replied.

Osui bowed and was about to turned back to give instructions to the other servants when Kenshin's voice rang out.

"Do you have a phonebook I could use? I'm going to contact someone later this evening." Kenshin asked.

Osui craned his neck to face the redhead. "Yes we do. Shall I get it for you now?"

Kenshin nodded his head for the third time. "Thank you Osui."

"Pardon me if I seem blunt Sir but is this someone a friend of yours?"

Kenshin's smiled widened, showing pearl-white teeth.

"No, I don't mind Osui and yes, she is."

Osui's dark eyes twinkled knowingly.

"Then I shall make haste and get the phonebook for you Sir."

**X-x-X-x-X  
**

"Damn you Shinomori." cursed Kiyoshi Taka as he rubbed his sore jaw. Fortunately, it hadn't been dislocated. Unfortunately, however, his reputation as a tough guy was trampled by a certain eye color-changing freak.

His green eyes glowed with menace as he swore underneath his breath. "I'll just you for this, Shinormori. Just you wait and see."

A cruel smile adorned his handsome face for the rest of the morning, making most of his female classmates shiver at the cold look in his eyes.

**X-x-X-x-X  
**

Later that evening, Kaoru was eating supper Tae, the Kamiya's cook, had prepared for her when unexpectedly the phone rang.

Wiping her mouth with a napkin, Kaoru stood up and grabbed the phone. She held it up to her ear.

"Hello?" She asked.

* * *

_**To be continued

* * *

**_

Sapphire: Well? How did you guys find it? Good I hope. (smiles) Anyway, it seems like the drama is starting to add up isn't it? I'm sorry that there haven't been any Kenshin-Aoshi collisions yet but I promise that they would definitely meet in the next chapter.

Hmm...Is it me or has Aoshi got something to hide? Well, you'll guys would soon find out as the story progresses. Hohoho! (winks)

Also, for you Misao lovers, I may dedicate a chapter of her. Though I can't say when it'll happen.

Daemon: Please don't forget to review. Sapphire loves to hear what you guys think.

Sapphire: Until next time, Pa-alam! (And yes, I am Filipino to those who are asking.) (smiles)


	5. Calm before the Storm

Daemon: This chapter does not contain intentional Misao bashing but it does mention a few bursts of strong language coming from the weasel.

Misao: Hey!

Daemon: (ignores the girl) Anyways, since Sapphire is busy as of the moment with packing for her four-day nursing duty exposure trip starting tomorrow, I would be handling the giving of thanks to the people who had reviewed.

**Special Thanks to:**

**JWLathayan, Anonymous, Mini-MoonStar; blooded wyngs; abubi-chan; neechee; pinoykengumi7; Midori Konbu; Saphira Slytherin; Mori'quessir; Orchidaceae; Kura-sama; Crystal Winds; kenni no.1; Triste1; Fishee; tkdl; -eastangerine-; beijaflor; kyo-chan; alwyzme**

Daemon: If I forgot to mention anyone, please do inform me. Thank you.

Sapphire: (shocked) Wow, I guess you can learn some manners.

Daemon: (rolls eyes)

* * *

**Yearnings of the Heart **

_Chapter five: The calm before the storm _

* * *

A flashing red Mercedes droved inside the parking lot of Tokyo U, catching the attention of curious bystanders. As the car parked in a vacant slot, more people began to turn their gaze towards the unfamiliar vehicle. Silently, they wondered who the driver of the outrageously expensive car is. 

The door slid open and one denim-clad leg swung forward followed by the other as their owner pushed himself up and out of the vehicle.

Kenshin turned his back momentarily to locked his car's door behind him and did a look-over to see if he forgotten anything else. Satisfied that the vehicle was secured, he slung his bag over his shoulder and made his way towards the registration's office.

He ignored the passing whispers and gossips about him as he passed by. His lips twitched up in a quick smirk as he caught in one of the girls' conversations.

"Oh my gosh, he's so cute!" One girl squealed to her friend.

The friend, equally starry-eyed, responded. "He's not cute! Cute is for little boys and he is certainly not one of them. He's gorgeous!"

"I haven't seen him around here before. You think he's a model or an actor?" Another girl said.

"Could be." replied a fourth girl "He obviously looks the part, doesn't he?"

"Are those Converse rocker sneakers he's wearing?!" The first girl squealed out.

"Yup." They look pretty expensive too." One responded.

Another added. "His whole wardrobe must cost more than my whole year's allowance!"

Kenshin shook his head in silent dismay and tuned out the conversations surrounding him as he neared his destination.

Moments later, he glanced at the REGISTRAR'S OFFICE sign painted on the glass pane of the door before he knocked on the wooden door and turned the knob open.

* * *

Kaoru brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face and sighed one more time. Class was really, for lack of a better term, boring today and it didn't help that she was already tired from lack of sleep last night. 

A smile twitched at the corner of her mouth. Misao would've found a way to keep her up, Kaoru mused. And probably will disrupt the whole class...again.

Apparently, Misao was quite well-known among both students and teachers about her hyperactivity and each unfortunate teacher under the girl has at least one or two Misao stories which were best left not discussed and forgotten for sanity's sake.

Fortunately for the poor sanity of the professor, Misao didn't have this class with her. Neither did Aoshi and Sano as well. In other words, she was all alone.

Oh sure, Kaoru had made a couple of other new friends but since Kaoru felt shy talking to them and that they were a few seats apart, Kaoru had no one to talk to.

Again Kaoru sighed one more time as the professor continued to drone on and on about today's lesson. He didn't even seem to notice that most of his students were either sleeping already or were close to becoming to.

She was so bored.

* * *

"Kenshin Himura is it?" The registration's officer droned out in a bored tone as she twitched her cat-shaped eyeglasses to get a better look at the new student before her. 

She raised a silver eyebrow. "Funnily, you don't look much like a Japanese, even if you are half."

Kenshin grinned, revealing his perfect white teeth. "My mother's a foreigner and I got most of my looks from her." He admitted truthfully.

The secretary merely replied with an "is that so?" and stamped the registration papers, officially declaring the redhead as an enrolled student. Wordlessly she handed the documents back which Kenshin readily accepted.

"Your next class starts in about an hour. Head for the second floor at the West Wing."

Kenshin nodded his head. "Yes Ma'am!" He replied, giving the officer a mock salute as he walked away.

The secretary sighed as soon as the redhead was out of sight and started reorganizing the papers on her desk.

"Well won't this year be an exciting one?" She murmured softly, letting out a knowing chuckle

* * *

It was frustrating. 

Usually he had a great –no the best! – sense of direction but it seemed as if someone somewhere in the entire cosmos was against him lately.

Kenshin resisted pulling his hair out, settling instead in letting out a frustrated growl which made the girls eyeing him at the moment swoon in delight, not that he would've minded the attention of course except that he was busy at the moment.

Silently, he comply the idea if he should ask one of the girls for directions. Turning his head, he was about to ask one when he caught a glimpse of their heart-shaped mutated eyes and drooling mouth and dispelled the idea quickly.

And no! He wasn't moving his feet faster. Well, maybe a _**tiny **_bit.

Shaking his head, Kenshin wondered if most of the females here are the same. He visibly shuddered at the thought. No way was he going to let his kitten become one of _**them**_. He'll lock her in a closet if he has to.

Kenshin smirked. Or maybe in the bedroom, with lots and lots of frilly pink pillows, matching blankets and wallpapers that have pink hearts and white flowers all-round. Oh! And don't forget the fluffy pink fur –synthetic of course – carpet and a hidden music player playing "I'm a Barbie girl" song 24/7.

Kenshin chuckled evilly. He will not need the bolts and locks to keep Kaoru from going outside; he'll be needing them to keep her _inside._

A loud bang disrupted the redhead from his diabolic thoughts and Kenshin's face morphed into that of confusion as he glanced at where he heard the sound. It was a door leading to one of the classrooms.

Another and equally loud bang can again be heard from the door and Kenshin could hear someone swallowing harshly behind him. Kenshin stole a look at the people besides him and raised an eyebrow in question at the frightened and pale looks on their faces.

A third bang erupted from the room, echoing throughout the now silent hallway except of the rapid shuffling of footsteps as most students and faculty walked away from the room while others, such as Kenshin, stayed rooted to their stop as if in a dull trance.

The shrill ringing of the class bell disrupted the uncomfortable silence, signaling that the period has ended and noise filled the hallway again as students emerged from their classrooms, even the one Kenshin had heard the bangs coming from.

The door to that room opened and Kenshin barely had the time to step back when a black and green blur collided to his chest.

Kenshin fought a wheeze. Damn! Whoever this person was, he/she must be a football member or something. Kenshin could literally feel the wind getting knocked out of his chest.

Kenshin hardly noticed when the blur that tackled him had stepped away and had started to apologize profusely. He was busy checking himself for any physical injuries and possible dislocation.

"I'm so sorry!" Finally Kenshin was snapped out of his own musings and he glanced at the person who had bumped into him and hitched his breath in shock.

* * *

'Today was just not my day' Misao grumbled to herself. 

First, she had been late to her first class no thanks to her alarm clock and now she had to get a new one. How the hell was she supposed to know that the darn thing would break under one lousy punch?

Then she had nearly burned her hands off when she tried to get her French toast out of the microwave. How is that possible?! For crying out loud, it was a microwave! And she didn't even eat the stupid toast in the end as it was a crisp black, how was she to know that she had set the timer wrong? It was a simply mathematical mistake!

And then she had to limp to school in an awkward manner, and tripping every now and then, as the sole of her left sandals snapped off. She had managed to solve that problem using sticky glue which she got from one of the campus' janitors with the threat of castration hovering above him.

Misao had thought that her luck was finally turning around but it had gotten worse. When she did get to class, it turns out that her regular professor was sick and the school had assigned a substitute for the day. Now, she would have been fine with it had it not been for the fact that the certain substitute was one of the professors Misao loathed and who equally loathed her back. How that lovely relationship came to be is another story but let's just say that she had spent the entire period doing minimal tasks of labor such as getting the LCD projector, erasing the board and getting picked on to recite at almost every question even though most of her classmates were literally out of their seats trying to get the teacher to call them instead.

So, it wasn't really her fault that she had _accidentally _pushed the back seat of the professor's chair while she had been erasing the board, making the substitute fall flat in her desk face first. Nor was it her fault that she had oh so conveniently _slide_ a certain speck dirt away and had happened to kick, again it was by accident, a certain part of the moveable platform that served as a foundation for the table in which the substitute was using to place the DNA structure model in and had to put back together since it went into pieces as it fell down along with the aforementioned table.

Lastly, Misao was _sure_ that it was just a coincidence that a Frisbee had happened to flow inside the window she had just opened and hit the substitute square in the face, giving him a black eye. And while the substitute was busy accusing poor innocent her of doing all of the above mentioned things to him out of spite, Misao had secretly pushed the 'Call Off' button of her phone and tucked it away in her pocket while mentally smirking that it was good to have friends who have a tendency to play games involving the throwing of projectile objects during their free periods.

When the ringing of the bell had resonated, Misao was glad that the class was finally over and dashed over to the door on her way out. However, as she did so, she had missed the snickers of her classmates and the unabashed relief look in her teacher's face who was still nursing his black eye with a piece of raw meat one of the students had happened to bring.

Imagine her surprise when she had bumped into what she thought was a wall. Since when can walls move anyway! She looked up and squeaked in surprise when she found out that she had collided into a hard chest, a man's hard chest mind you, and practically hopped aside to give the guy some space when she meticulously bowed her hand to apologize in sync with her mouth as she muttered her apologizes over and over again.

"I'm sorry!" Misao finally shouted for the last time and lifted her head, hoping that the man wasn't scowling.

Green eyes widened as she finally saw the guy she had bumped into.

* * *

Kaoru tapped her foot in a sign of impatience as she waited for Misao. They had the next class together. 

Kaoru brushed aside a stray lock of her ebony hair as she glanced at her watch again.

"Where could she be?" She huffed in frustration.

* * *

"When is he going to get here Sano?" Aoshi growled in impatience, tossing his friend a glare as he did so. 

The brunet brushed off his friend's icy glare. He was somewhat used to it by now. "I don't know." Sano admitted, running a hand through his gravity-defying hair in frustration. "He should have been here by now."

Aoshi raised an eyebrow as a thought came to him. "You did show him around the campus beforehand right?"

Sano's eyes, which had been closed in deep thought, snapped open as the brunet processed what the dark-haired man said.

"Erm…Well, I might've…that is to say…well I was really busy and he was too so…" The brunet stammered.

Aoshi sighed. "You forgot, didn't you?" It was a statement, not a question.

Sano hung his head and sighed. "Ah…yes I did."

The brunet shivered as the other man glared at him with such intent that Sano could physically feel the ice emitting from it.

"Sano" It was a low growl, calm and soft. However, to those who knew Shinomori, they would that Sagara was in big trouble.

A few who had chosen to stand by near the two were wise enough to move away. They didn't want to get in the crossfire.

* * *

Kenshin looked at the girl up and down. His soft lilac eyes darkened into a deep velvet blue as he stared hard at the female before. 

"What do you think you're doing?!?!" He yelled, a dark frown upsetting his care-free features and giving him a bad boy look.

Misao's jaw snapped open in surprise as the handsome man before her suddenly yelled and reacted. It wasn't long though when the man's words processed through her shocked brain and surprised turned into anger as the dark-haired girl yelled back.

"What the heck is wrong with you?! I said I was sorry damn it!"

"Sorry? You're sorry?! Well _sorry _doesn't cut it, girl!"

Misao bared her teeth in response. "My name's not 'girl'! It's Misao, you pretty boy!" She said; her fist clenched at her sides.

Kenshin's eyes flashed into molten amber then back into deep velvet, an action Misao had noticed but didn't think much of it then, as he replied in a deep growl.

"The name's Kenshin and don't ever call me 'pretty boy' you got that Weasel?"

Misao's eyes flashed. "What did you call me?" She eyed him with narrowed eyes.

Kenshin let his lips curved into a smirk.

"I called you 'Weasel'. Do you have a problem with that?" He said in a teasing manner but his eyes glittered in mock at her.

Misao resisted the urge to punch the redhead in the eye. How dark he call her a weasel? Did he think that she was some flea-bitten mongrel look-alike?

Misao let out a growl, again baring her teeth for the second time.

If possible, Kenshin's smirk widened.

"You know, you're just proving the 'Weasel' comment right by doing that." He said amusingly.

Misao's vision bled red. Forget controlling her anger. What did her psychiatrist knew about anger management? He was just a perverted old man anyway.

"You!" She yelled.

Kenshin smirked. "Me." He answered back.

Misao was about to punch him in the face, specifically at his teeth to watch the smirk slide off his face when a familiar voice called out and stopped her.

"Misao! What do you think you're doing?"

"Huh? Kaoru?" Misao said, turning her face to look at her friend. In her current state, she didn't hear Kenshin muttering out a 'Kaoru?' as well and mimicked her actions.

* * *

Kaoru stood with her hands on her hips, looking very much like an avenger in some superhero cartoon. 

'Kenshin?' She thought, finally noticing her red-headed friend.

"Wha—?" Unfortunately, Kaoru didn't have time to finish her question when she was suddenly enveloped in a warm embrace.

Kaoru shocked mind registered the fact that Kenshin had leaned down and whispered into her ear.

"Kaoru kitten. It is you." His hot breath swayed the short stray locks of her hair, tickling her ear. "I've missed you so much." If possible, his arms had tighten as they held Kaoru closer to the hard body beside her.

Loudly, someone cleared his throat obviously to get attention and Kaoru snapped out of her reverie enough to glance at where the sound came from.

"Aoshi?"

* * *

Aoshi resisted the urge to punch the stranger holding his Kaoru so tightly in his arms. He and Sano had become tired of waiting for the brunet's friend and had decided to search for the missing student. What he didn't expect however was to walk into a scene where someone, a male who he didn't even know, trapping the young indigo-eyed girl in his embrace. 

As the thought crossed his mind, Aoshi let out an animalistic growl which was out of character for the tall, seemingly emotionless man. His glacier eyes deepened to piercing blue-green as he took in the disgusting sight before him.

"Aoshi?" Kaoru's voice broke him out of his dark thoughts. Aoshi was about to respond when Sano beat him to it.

"Kenshin? What are you with Kaoru? And Misao, what are you doing here?" The brunet asked in an attempt to settle some of the confusion currently taking place.

Aoshi turned his attention for a moment towards the other girl. His stalker, his mind registered for him. He narrowed his eyes. Was she responsible for this?

Aoshi shook his head mentally, dismissing the thought as soon as it had surfaced. It's absurd. He thought, noticing the dagger looks Misao was currently giving the redhead stranger.

Trying to think logically, Aoshi glanced at Sano. "Is he the one we're looking for?" He asked, although both he and Sano already knew that it wasn't needed.

Sano nodded his head. "Yup, that's Kenshin Himura."

Aoshi switched his attention to the scene before him and had to swallow another growl when his eyes came into contact with amused lavender eyes.

Kenshin smiled, although it was more of a smirk to everyone else, and held out a hand towards the taller man for a handshake while keeping his other arm locked around Kaoru's waist. An act which didn't go unnoticed by everyone else either.

"Hello, you must be Aoshi. Kitten talks about you all the time while she was in Italy." The redhead quipped.

* * *

_**To be continued**_

* * *

AN: Ack! (Runs away from mad readers) Don't kill me! I just had to leave it there. 

Readers: (fuming) WHY?!

Sapphire: Err…well (laughs nervously) Umm…Writer's block?

Readers: (shouting) LIAR!!

Sapphire: Eep! Daemon! Save Me!

Daemon: (sips his tea as he turned the page of his book with his clawed hand) You have brought this fate upon yourself.

Sapphire: (growls at the now wolf-demon as she was again chased by furious readers, most of which are AK, KK and AM fans, each with a different reason) Damn it! I never should've given you your human form! Grr…When I get my hands on you, you Neji-wannabe I'll—!!

Daemon: (cocks an eyebrow as he watched the scene before him in amusement) But you did so neh! (stucks his tongue out)

Daemon: (shouts for readers to hear him as they continued to chase the poor author) Don't forget to review! Sapphy may not be the fastest to update but it does help when she gets happy from your reviews!

Sapphire: (growls) Don't call me Sapphy!

Daemon: (smirks) Ok, how about Oba-chan? You'll be turning twenty this year right? (is aware that Sapphire is currently undergoing her first mid-life crisis)

Sapphire: (pouts) That was low, even for you.

Daemon: (smirks at the sulking Sapphire) Don't go emo on me.

Sapphire: (throws a tomato at Daemon) I diddly ain't no emo! You get me?

Daemon: (sighs and wipes the rotten fruit off his face) (smirks) I love it when she gets mad. She starts talking like a die-trying ganster.


End file.
